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Madison – Stormy weather in Jets Country, in the skies and around the team. It’s time for another edition of One Jets Drive . . .
Jets punter Robert Malone has a bad flu.
He’s been throwing up the last two days.
He’s only been able to eat crackers.
The Jets had him hit a couple of punts early in practice, and then let him go inside . . .
Chaz Schilens didn’t practice today due to a knee injury.
But he told JC, that knee injury he is dealing with this week, is not the same one he had last week.
Schilens had had a lot of leg issues this year – a high ankle sprain early, knee and quad problems more recently.
It’s not a toughness issue. The guy plays hurt.
However, I think the issue is related to his long legs.
So many long-limbed receivers, like the 6-5 Schliens, suffer a lot of low extremity injuries.
Their long legs are big targets.
The shorter, low center of gravity players are able to protect their legs a lot better . . .
Ellis Lankster is dealing with a concussion, so Darrin Walls is the Jets third cornerback.
This guy looks like a nice pickup by the Jets personnel department.
The Notre Dame-product looks like a solid corner.
He had a near pick against San Diego, and had blanket coverage on a deep pass down the sideline to WR Eddie Royal. The penalty they called on him, on a crossing route, seemed like a phantom call. It looked like he had terrific coverage on that play.
The Pittsburgh-native looks like a player . . .
You know who has quietly played really well over the last month – Bart Scott.
Aside from that one rough play in pass coverage against New England, he’s done a lot of nice things.
His turf toe has improved, and so has his game.
In recent weeks, his run defense has been excellent, and he’s also doing a nice job of blitzing up the middle.
He had a sack on a blitz, and also had a QB pressure.
I’d definitely bring him back if he takes a reasonable salary – maybe one-year, $2 million.
Is DeMario Davis really ready to take over for him?
You just get the sense that he’s a major work-in-progress, and might not be ready to start just yet.
In a middle linebacker rotation, Scott could be a good guy to still have around.
He and his family have their dream house a few miles from Jets camp, and he’s great family man, so surely he doesn’t want to move.
I’d bring him back, if the price is right . . .
Tim Tebow explained his case today to New York reporters on the record, and on background.
It sounds like the person who leaked that he didn’t want to run the Wildcat last week, didn’t have the whole story.
Let’s not rehash today’s story. I’m sure you have read it all over.
But the bottom line is this – the Jets should never have traded for him
It was a mistake.
And now it seems like the whole three-ring circus that comes with Tebowmania, is starting to grate on some people around the Jets, and some are turning on him.
You saw that in the Manish Mehta hatchet job filled with unnamed people galore taking shots at Tim, and now you see it again in this leak to ESPN New York, with somebody in the building, telling Rich Cimini and Jane McManus, that Tebow refused to run the Wildcat last week.
Does Tebow deserve this kind of venom? Probably not – he does so much good for society.
It just seems like people around the building are worn out from Tebowmania.
This situation has become untenable.
And while it would be smart to try to get something in return for him from Jacksonville, maybe it’s just best to cut him once the season is over, and end the distraction once and for all.
The big lesson learned from this is that Woody Johnson should try to stay out of player personnel decisions, and leave that to his football people.
December 26, 2012
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